MSPA fan-fiction

[Gabu]

I actually had the whole plot thought out and at the climax-type scene when darnit, Andrew.

So I'll pretend that update didn't happen long enough to finish this. Denial is the easiest way out of all of life's problems! Aren't I writing something like that somewhere?

[Gabu]

Chapter 9: Broken

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John woke up in the middle of the night when he heard someone in his room. He jolted up, and looked around, though it was pretty useless until he got his glasses on. He turned to be face to face with an eyeless dog-wolf hybrid of pure-white fur. John could swear he saw this thing before, but he felt so groggy that he wasn't even sure he was awake at all. He noticed Jade next to this dog, apparently very sad. She hugged John, and John, unsure of what to do, simply hugged back. When she let go, the beast picked her up by the shirt collar and both vanished.

John jumped when he heard more noise outside his room. The sun had just broke over the horizon, though it was still too early to wake up just yet. Yet, he slid out of bed and peeked outside the door.

“Not now, man. Not now.”

“We've deemed you sane now.” Said a female doctor. “Don't worry. You two will be sharing the plane ride back home.”

“But what about our other friend?” The voice was farther away.

They seemed to have been moving further from John, towards the doors leading to the entrance. “We'll take good care of John, but right now you two need to go home.”

John's eyes widen. He could not believe what was happening, and for a moment thought it was all another dream.

YOUR DREAMS SUCK, KID
IT'S JUST REAL LIFE

“But we promised him we'd stay for him. Who knows what may happen to his psyche when he finds out.” John could tell this was Rose. He heard the doors open.

“You can make a call here for him, and hopefully he'll be able to talk to you.”

“Hey, what happened to Jade?” It was Dave.

“We have no clue how she got here, or how she left.” The doctor sighed.

The realization of the situation hit John, and it spun his head around. His friends were leaving him. They were being forced to! John burst out of his room and looked around to find his friends.

THEY'RE LEAVING YOU
YOU'LL HAVE NO ONE TO GO TO
YOU'LL BE STUCK HERE
HAHAHAHA. NICE.

“We've contacted your guardians yesterday, and they will be waiting for when you arrive.”

It was down the right hall, John realized. He started running towards them, voices he actually wanted to hear.

“Hey kid! Stop!”

Except those. Before he knew it John was being chased by a heavy-set doctor, luckily too slow to catch up to John. John turned a corner and sped up. He could see their backs as they were reluctantly led out to the lobby. The doors were closing, and from past knowledge John knew the doors would lock if they closed, so he naturally sped up to his very fastest. If he could only get his hand in, he could keep the door open. But he didn't realize just how fast the door was closing. He thought it was slower when he first entered. John couldn't go faster, so he simply hoped to make it. The opening became a large crack, and quickly shrinking. John was twenty feet away.

RUN, DUMB FUCK, RUN!

“Rose! Dave!”

ROSE, DAVE!
DON'T LEAVE ME
DON'T LEAVE A DUMB KID!

His friends turned and saw him barreling down the hallway with now two people hot on his trail. John kept running, the door closing to a mere inch. He closed his eyes and stuck out his hand. Bang. He hit the door.

NO WONDER YOU'RE SO DUMB!
YOU KEEP MASHING YOUR HEAD INTO THINGS!

The adrenaline rush kept John going, and he started banging on the door's window, still yelling for his friends but they were led out the door and into a waiting small aircraft. He felt a primal banshee scream come from his throat at the same time red-hot tears trickled down his face. John felt the tackle an instant later, and realized it had happened. His friends left him. He wriggled and writhed, attempting to ignore the fact.

FACE IT KID, THEY'VE ABANDONED YOU
THEY'VE LIED
JUST TO PLACATE A DUMB KID
AND YOU BELIEVED THEM

“N-no! They're my best friends!” Darkness had almost overtaken John.

ARE THEY?

The sheer unexpectedness blanked John's consciousness completely.

---

John couldn't tell where he was at first. The walls looked same, but different, as were the people in it. John looked down, and saw he was once more in a straitjacket, but now strapped down to a wheelchair. When he discovered he was in the other ward, John immediately succumbed to the jokers' darkness.

Meanwhile, the doctor simply facepalmed. “Lousy goddamn stupid ward system.”

---

John was quickly disorientated by the number and length of when the voices took him, and so the days seemed to blur from one day to the next. He felt too meek to care, though. He knew he had lost just by the sheer frequency of it, and simply did not feel like fighting. It was pointless to John.

It was a warm spring evening when someone came up behind him. It was that doctor again.

“Your father called. He wants to talk to you. Do you?”

John had no idea why he said yes, but he thought it had something to do with not having much social interaction at all since his friends left. Even though he hated his father, he wasn't going to have his broken spirit destroy his sanity that way. The doctor had wheeled him over to the phones in the hallway, and freed one of John's arms from the straitjacket, before giving the phone to him.

“Hello? Dad?”

“Hi John.”

“Umm… how are things home?”

“Too quiet, John. Too quiet.”

“Taxes finished?”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“John?”

“Yeah?”

“I miss you. Please get well soon.”

“Uh…” That disgusting emotion called guilt ran through John's veins.

“I've been trying to call you for several weeks now, but every time you were in another of those fits.”

“Several weeks? …What day is this, dad?”

“May 16th, John. Why? Are the fits so often that you can't tell if a day had passed or not?”

“…Yeah…in fact that's exactly it. I'm probably way behind in school now, considering I'm banned from using any pens, pencils, and such.”

“I've talked it over with the school, and they will let you attend the study hall in summer school to catch up.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“John, I know you can do this. You have done so much that I can be proud of, that you can be proud of.”

“Uhm…”

“I swear to God, John, the moment you get home I'll have a cake ready for you.”

“None of that Betty Crocker stuff, okay?”

“Anything for you, son. As long as you fight for it.”

“Okay, dad.”

More silence.

“I'm putting all your mail on your bed.”

“How much do I have now?”

“Several packages, some mail from colleges, a bank statement, I assume…”

“Nice. The neighborhood dogs taken care of?”

“They keep shitting on our lawn, so when you do come home, please be careful.”

So yeah

[KalibrationLTD]

homesuffocated
CHAPTER 1

silentCowboy [SC] began pestering enigmaticAstronomer [EA]
SC: hi brian
EA: hey isaac!!
SC: any reason for being so chipper here
EA: do i need a license to be happy?
SC: maybe. these here are dangerous streets here on the internet son. you better not smile without express permission by the internet cops
SC: anyways, i was wondering, since we got cut off last time.
SC: when can we hang out offline?
EA: oh jeez, isaac
EA: weellll my uncle saw my window still open when i left
EA: and well he didnt know we were um,
EA: "involved"
SC: oh fuck
EA: mmhmm so now that he knows we're like a couple he's uh
EA: a bit less than ecstatic for me to go
EA: as in he called the whole thing off and im not allowed to leave the house until we have a good looonggg talk about the birds and the bees and how im apparently doing that wrong.
SC: you have to be shitting me
SC: i waited like 8 months now
SC: fuck him just sneak out or something i don't know
EA: well i think hes gonna notice me going from washington to new york isaac
SC: i know, i just... fuck. i'm gonna sign off for a while. maybe in a few hours we can play that new game, if you got it yet.
EA: sburb?
SC: yeah. i love you, bye
EA: love you too!

I should've seen this coming. Isaac closed the window, clenching his fist, before only letting out a heavy sigh, rasping against his torn throat. Nothing good ever happens to me. He wheeled his desk chair away from the computer, stood up, and put his head against the wall. Sixteen years old and he couldn't even leave the house. It wasn't that his brother wouldn't allow it - the reason was simple. He was mute, plain and simple, and too upset over it to even bother leaving. God damn it. His hair fell before his eyes - a muted violet barely shining through a mess of otherwise black hair. He bit his lip for a second, before just sitting down, staring at the wall. This was what he always did - stare off into space and contemplate. Nothing really mattered, and nothing really touched him. He could hear his brother downstairs, screaming at something going on in some big political conference on TV, or maybe some sports game going against his favor. Either way, it was all the same shit to him.

He looked over at the disc laying on his bed - SBurb Client. He was told there would be two, but yet, he didn't care one bit. His apathy seemed to suck everything in like a hole, and leave him in darkness. But at the same time, he never cared. He let out another sigh, this one grinding against his weak trachea and giving him a faint cough, before standing up, taking the disc, and putting it in his computer.

Nothing happened. It spun out, and ejected itself, fairly scratched.

Isaac only closed his eyes, sat down in his chair, and lowered his head.

Nothing ever works.[/spoiler]

sorry it's so short I guess but it's gonna be a series ok yeah seeya

[Layra]

'cause the last updates are so...so...

Also, second part possibly ruins the mood of the first.

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Fade Away

"Hey, Jaspers."
"Meow?"
"How long do you think it takes for a timeline to unravel?"
She put away her laptop and stared up into the darkness. In the distance she could see the remains of the Land of Wind and Shade, scattered and broken across the night sky.
Jade's world was dark; only some inspired guessing allowed them to locate it against the empty black. Now that Dave was gone, his world would probably fade from view as well.
"I don't know, Rose. Do you really think that's going to happen?"
"It is a possibility. Dave has gone to undo the events that led us here, so this timeline shouldn't occur at all."
She closed her eyes. "I don't think I want to remain here alone until I die."
"Meow?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Jaspers. I didn't mean it that way. But I'm the last of the players. I'm the last human alive." She smiled, a sad, weak smile that vanished as it was born.
"Before, I could tell myself 'At least Dave is still here. At least there's someone else.' And that would be enough." She chuckled. "You know that old saying, 'not if you were the last man on Earth'? For a while, Dave was the last man. I was the last woman. He never said anything regarding it, but I knew he liked me. And I..."
She wiped away the gathering tears. "And now we'll have a different world, and we won't be the last ones anymore. And maybe he'll feel differently. And perhaps the other me will feel differently."
"And maybe this me will still be here."
A pair of tentacles embraced her, a furred cheek brushing against her own. She smiled, patting her sprite. "Thank you, Jaspers."
She closed her eyes and leaned back against her sprite. Perhaps taking Dave's advice and going to sleep would be the best route. At least she could visit his room and wait for the end.
And the Land of Light and Rain faded away.

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"Hey princess, wake up."
Her vision, fuzzy with sleep and fatigue and sadness, showed her a young man in resplendent white bearing a sword. Since when did she dream of knights in shining armor? Is that why Dave was calling her 'princess'?
Dave?
"Dave?" Her eyes shot open to reveal Dave in his suit. "What about-"
"C'mon, John and Jade are pinned down over there. This is no time to be sleeping."
"John? Jade? They're here? They're-"
He quickly covered her mouth, glancing behind him. "They don't know a thing." he hissed. "They don't know about the other timeline, and we're keeping it that way."
"You succeeded." she whispered when he removed his hand. He nodded.
He stood and offered a hand to her. She blushed when he didn't let go.
"By the way," he muttered, "there are some other changes in this timeline that I should warn you about."
"Oh? What could-"
She nearly passed out again as his lips crashed down onto hers. Her entire body turned to jelly and only his arms around her he's holding me! kept her from collapsing.
He pulled away all too quickly. "That's probably the biggest one. I'll tell you the rest later." He grabbed her hand again. "Now let's go!"
She followed as the memories of that other life faded away.

[Raccoon]

Part 1 Of 2: That Feeling

TentacleTherapist [TT] started pestering TurntechGodhead[TG] at ???

TTo you ever get that feeling Dave?
TG:What feeling?
TT:You know the one i'm talking about, when you have the feeling that something really bad is about to happen..
TG:rose you need to stop worrying about john and jade
TT:How can I Dave?
TT:There's been no contact with them for days now.
TT:John hasn't been seen since he rocketed off his house to god knows where and Jade had A HUGE FUCKING METEOR LOOMING ABOVE HER.
TG:...
TT:I'm scared Dave..
TG:I'm here with you Rose..
TT:I'm going to Prospit.
TG:Rose. Be careful, I cannot lose you..
TT:I Love You Dave.
TG:I love you too Rose..

TentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering TurntechGodhead[TG] at ???[/spoiler]
Meh. ill finish it later

[I-gor]

You know Dave is serious when he uses proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Great work in all of this thread.

[mars7a]

You know Dave is serious when he uses proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Great work in all of this thread.

And Rose must be going mad. I mean I would.

THE GIANT FUCKING METEOR LOOMING OVER HER part was the most shocking twist yet.

[Shyamalan]

I thought about it, and I decided to cross post this short thing I wrote for the romance thread, since it's really not all that romantic anyways.

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We can post romantic fanfics here? Then I'm putting this up, because despite the latest update I still like the trolls. Note that there is a lot of stuff in here that has no basis in what has been shown to be true in canon.

gC surveyed the charred landscape of her former home from her computer monitor. What was once a lively, peaceful world had been reduced to crumbled buildings and blackened earth.
"This is horrible. I can't believe it... all the work we did... what was it for?"
cG appeared behind her, and placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"We did what we had to. You knew from the beginning, there was no hope for our planet. All we can do now is let it be built anew."
"But what's going to happen to us? What do we do now that our game's over?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

gC approached cG. He was moody as usual. Her own optimism was being tested as well, but she refused to give up on her hopes.
"I got the news from our hacker. He says he's found a way to let us talk with the next players. Maybe... we can help them. Maybe they won't have to end up the way we did."
cG didn't bother to look at her. He could see the pain in her beautiful blue-green eyes. He was tired of her attempts to cheer him up.
"It doesn't matter. Nothing we do will change any of it."
"Please don't say that. I have to believe it will."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

gC rubbed her eyes. She had heard from the others about what was happening. She didn't want to believe it, but she had little choice the way things were.
"Thos3 k1ds... th3 n3w pl4y3rs. 1 th1nk th3y'r3 c4us1ng th1s."
"SHuT UP."
The changes in cG's personality were obvious. She could feel herself deteriorating as well.
"Pl34s3... l1st3n to m3."
"NO. GO AwAY."
"Don't you s33 wh4t's h4pp3n1ng to you? You w3r3 n3v3r l1k3 th1s b3for3... 4nd l4t3ly, my v1s1on's gott3n blurry. 1 c4n't 3v3n s33 your f4c3 cl34rly 4nymor3."
"DO YOU WaNT THINGS TO bE THE WAY ThEY WERE BEFoRE?"
"1... 1 w4nt my hom3 b4ck. 1 w4nt my boyfr13nd b4ck."
"WE DON'T EvEN KNOW IF It WILL WORK."
"1t h4s to."

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"JOHN. L1ST3N. 1 KNOW 4 W4Y YOU C4N SK1P 4H34D TO TH3 3ND R1GHT 4W4Y. JUST FOLLOW MY 1NSTRUCT1ONS."
gC turned away from her monitor.
"H3Y MORON. 1 D1D 1T. THE H31R 1S GO1NG TO D13."
"SHUT UP. I CAN'T STAND LISTENING TO YOU TALK."
"...1D1OT."
gC still felt some nagging sense of guilt. Of all of her teammates, the changes on her had been the slowest, even though she was the only one who suffered from blindness. In the past few chats she'd had with John, she had almost started to like the guy. His planet had been destroyed too. But she knew there was only one way to get what she wanted.
She had to stop the game.
"1 TH1NK 1'LL M1SS YOU, JOHN."

And just as expected, already it cannot be.

[zebtrestalala]

Hey guys. I'm back again.

Ok, so I had a sort of idea of making one of those "Original Homestuck universes" thing, like homesuffocated right above me and that one thing Pankake keeps doing.

Alright...

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awkwardPenguin [aP] began pestering risingRunner [rR ]
AP: Hey, Kat, are you there?
AP: Kat?
AP: Kaaaaaaaaat.
AP: Fine. Be that way.


It was another boring day in the life of Derek Johansen. He didn't feel like doing homework, he didn't feel like running, he didn't feel like leaving his room, even. He never knew what he felt like doing, really. So he just sat, trying to talk to one of his friends from back home over the internet, which was better than other things he could have been doing.

His roommate was out studying somewhere, and some of the guys from his dorm had mentioned going to play football, but he just didn't feel like it. He never really did.

Did he think that endlessly searching the internet would provide him with the answers to his life? That everything to keep him entertained, get his confidence up, and maybe even get a girlfriend, for the first time in his life, possibly lay in the world wide web? That was just stupid.

And yet, he couldn't-

RR: Oh hey Derek!
RR: Sorry, I one of the girls on my hall had to tell me something
RR: What's up?
AP: Not much.
AP: Just another lazy Saturday, you know.
RR: Yeah, I know!
RR: I never really get anything done on Saturdays!
RR: Usually I just go out with the club soccer team and just kick the ball around
RR: How bout you? What have you been up to?
AP: Nothing, really.
AP: Feeling too lazy to even really step outside my room.
AP: But did you have a good Easter?
RR: Yeah, my parents came all the way up to Boston!
RR: And then we went to the Easter vigil mass, and it was loooooooooong.
RR: How was Easter in Virginia?
AP: It was okay. It was fun to spend time with my family.

Yeah, and then he felt like a total fake when he told his parents he felt "well adjusted" and like he was "really bonding with the guys here." Who was he kidding? He spent all of his time on the computer, trying to impress random online communities instead of actual people.

RR: That's great!
AP: Hey, I was wondering....
AP: You know that game Sburb that just came out?
AP: Would you want to start a little chain with me?
RR: Sburb? What do you even do in that game?
RR: The commercials for it were so trippy I couldn't tell what the heck the main concept of that game is.
AP: I think it works kind of like the Sims
AP: Except one guy mans the actual people, and one person tries to build everything.
AP: And I guess together they make sure the family doesn't kill itself
RR: Well, I don't know...
RR: School and soccer and church and frisbee are keeping me kind of busy...
AP: Oh, alright...
RR: But I'll try to see if I can fit it in!!!
RR: Sorry Derek, but i gotta go now!
AP: haha, thanks, see you later I guess

And of course, Kat Maxwell was the exact opposite of him. Always finding friends to hang out with, and always being so bubbly and outgoing. He bet she had actually impressed the girls on her hall, not some online personas. And yet, Kat made him feel better, as if she had some sort of strange ability to make everyone see things in a better light.

But sometimes, he even doubted how much he was friends with his good friends like her. Surely, a girl like her couldn't possibly be excited about hanging out with someone like him.

The door swung open, and his roommate Evan walked into the room, laying his backpack on the ground with a resounding thump.

"Man, Biology just sucks, man."
"So I've heard, Evan, so I've heard" replied Derek.
"What have you been up to all afternoon? Not homework, I imagine?" Evan asked.
"Oh, just surfing the internet, talking to Kat, y'know," replied Derek.
"Oh? The lady, eh?"
"Aren't I allowed to have friends who are just girls? And not girlfriends?" asked Derek.
"It was a joke, dude," replied Evan.
"Yeah, I know. I was joking, too," said Derek with a sigh.
"Alright, have fun with that," said Evan, as he walked out of the room again in search of greener pastures.

Yes, when it came to friends, sometimes Derek wondered.

So what do you think of this? Comments? Criticisms?

[Pankake]

Zeb, you are a pretty good fanfic writer, and it makes me happy you are going at creating some thing like I was writing. Exept, mine was not in another universe.

I'll begin writing my what-ever-it's-called.

[Pankake]

"That's bullshit. Total bullshit."

"I know. Worst part is, I get nothing for pay."

Despite Inan's discust for humans, he could say this one was alright.
They both shared alot of the same opinions and view of life, he figured an aquaintanship wouldn't be bad.
If it weren't for this human, he could've of got a lecture about the importance of not tresspasing so firm and stright that he could've gotten brain damage.

"What a glorious monarch. So kind, so just." Said the human, his statement driping with sarcasm.

"More like a royal bitch." Said Inan.

Inan was sure he was commiting treason. But he loved every moment of it.
He was also sure it was illeagal to enjoy (and eventually wear) human clothes.
He did enjoy the human boy's clothes. A navy blue fedora, endowned with a lightbulb pin towards the left of the boy's head.
A tuxedo, also navy blue and endorned with the favored lightbulb insignea.
His polished dress shoes, black as night.

Wait a minute thought Inan.

Black as night... Inan's mental voice trailed off.

And then it hit him like a freight train.

The boy was the Seeker of the Night.

[KalibrationLTD]

homeSUFFOCATED
CHAPTER 2

i wanted to play on the idea of mental disease.
everyone in Homestuck is apparently schizophrenic and obsessed with their worst fears or misinterpretations. so, homesuffocated plays on manic-depression, bipolar, and other feelings of total self-hatred. thus "the medium" is going to be grim, bleak, and nightmarish. it's in the timeline that ends in john and jade's death.[/spoiler]

ART
[spoiler]

isaac et brian

the actual freakin story wow

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troyFALLS: So you're trying to install SBurb, huh?
SC: paul?
SC: you better not be sitting behind me or some weird shit.
TF: Nope, I'm at my apartment.
SC: hey it's good that you're leaving a minor unattended
SC: in a big house
SC: with fire-starting implements and hmm what kinda shit did you just haphazardly leave on the kitchen table
SC: large amounts of liquor and cannabis,
SC: we're talking snoop dogg amounts here
SC: oh yeah, and enough cigs to choke cheech and chong
SC: mine now
TF: You can have them, li'l abroham. Just try to cut down.
SC: in a press conference, while the pot refused to release any details about his affair with some chick he met at an anime convention
SC: he did call the kettle black
TF: Rena? She's a great gal. She's gonna be your sister-in-law soon.
SC: oh cool you two can dress up like characters from magical sparkle puff and hopefully be in the middle of bumfuck arizona where i never have to see that stupid shit
TF: Well, in case you didn't notice, SBurb is already installed. I've been waiting for you to start it up.
SC: oh cool so you snuck on my computer while i was asleep right
TF: I didn't look at any of your porn, no worries!
SC: ugghhh weirdo.
TF: Hey, before we play, though, I'd just like to say I'm really sorry about you not being able to talk anymore.
TF: I just can't remember the last time I said of that.
TF: I'm still proud of you though. Keep on sticking through it.
SC: and i'm sorry for the syphilis you're going to contract in your star moon sailor costume.
TF: No, I'm serious. You're my little brother, and I'm so proud of you. Mom would really love to see you now.
SC: ...
SC: hey lets just play this ok
SC: i see "HEY ISAAC" on the server browser, i'll wager a guess that that's you
TF: Who are you expecting, the Easter Bunny?

Isaac barely smirked to himself, before connecting. At first, nothing happened - his room seemed to fade, bare white walls greying. It was when he reached for his keyboard again he realized what had happened - his hands were totally in black and white. The contrast grew - blacks blacker, whites whiter, as everything was absorbed in shadows.

TF: Okay, is anything fucking up for you?
SC: do you mean the suden dulling of everything around me
SC: no i didnt really notice me entering mime world
TF: Okay, enough with the sarcasm. I thought I'd spoil myself and read an FAQ, but this is... weird.
TF: Apparently nothing will really happen until a meteor hurtles itself towards your house, at which point you have to use some kind of item to stop it from destroying life as you know it.
SC: hey you know i've been waiting for that to happen all my life. thanks.
TF: Well... I'm gonna read it again.

It was then Isaac noticed, with a cursory glance, things had changed once again. Everything was a muted yellow or rust color, and every little imperfection in the world became magnified a thousand times. It looked like some kind of nightmarish painting, the kind that always made him sick. The walls seemed to peel back, revealing thousands of roaches, all clicking and hissing quietly, feelers prodding around for any sign of life.

SC: paul
SC: paul
SC: paul
SC: PAUL FOR FUCKS SAKES
SC: THIS ISNT FUNNY I HATE BUGS

There was no response, and Isaac pulled himself away from his desk for a moment. He put his head in his hands again, letting out only a heavy cough and forced groan of sorrow. No no no no no no no no.

It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed a hand reaching towards him. It was dark gray in color, claws at the ends, and lead up a lanky arm to a black shirted man with two small, orange horns.

"You hate bugs, right Isaac? They're the scariest things in the world. Entities with no purpose besides to consume and reproduce. Leaving nothing behind but empty husks." His words came out without his mouth moving at all, and scarlet hair hid his eyes. "Come on. Let's be friends."

Isaac only looked up, panting heavily for a second. He observed his settings once more - the computer was gone, and around him were pulsing organs of some type, all black and coated in a dull, rough carapace. He went to yell out in dismay, only coughing out.

"Do we have to make a deal? Let me know." The man now grinned, grabbing Isaac's hand and pulling him up. Just as suddenly as it was there, his chair was suddenly gone. "This is the Ghost Ship. We're entering the remnants of Prospit."

Prospit? This word was alien to Isaac, yet stirred a grim feeling something like nostalgia to him. He clutched his head again, though after blinking any sleep from his eyes several times, nothing changed. He stumbled backwards a bit, catching his balance and letting out another heavy gasp for breath.

"My God, you're stupid. Either way, I'll clue you in: you're the Navigator. You guide people between Prospit and their Mediums. Now, why do you think this is called the Ghost Ship? Think, twit."

There was a long silence as something that must have functioned as an engine died out, before coughing back to life again with screeches and hisses. A loud crashing was then heard, and Isaac was quickly thrown forward, falling before the gray man's feet. He promptly threw up.

"Sick fuck. Get your shit together before you go topside."

Isaac looked up, a tear forming in his eye. The boy had turned and began to walk away.

"My name's Carson."

[Pankake]

David didn't like imps. He didn't like ogres either.
Probably due to the fact they smashed his Xbox 360.
An unsuspecting Sand Imp took a trusty knife to the back.
A Seashell Ogre got several.
No surprise at the fact that most enemies retreated.
All that stood and fought were quickly wiped out.
Once again, no surprise.

What did surprise him was the fact that the Pearl Giclops that was scaling the plateau his house was neatly placed on was geting

very close to his yard.
He had only seen one so far, and that one was on Devin's server. But it was Green and made of Neptunium.
As it reached the top, he threw a knife into it's eye.
A roar, the sound of rocks sliping, and a crash.

He quickly returned to his room to see someone was pestering him.
It was Devin.
He quickly responded

dastardlyAntagonist began pestering dependableSerialkiller

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dS: UGH
dS: FUCKING NAGA WHORES
dA: having trouble pimpin' those hoes?
dS: I WOULD SOONER MURDER THEM THAT PUT UP WITH THEIR SHIT
dS: I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH
dA: i know what your saying
dA: i just had to deal with a large wave of enemies
dA: there was a giclops climbing up tp my house
dA: but i stabed him in the eye before he could get up here and fuck up my shit
dS: SERIOUSLY?
dS: FROM WHAT I'VE READ FROM THE WALKTHROUGH
dS: THEY AREN'T SUPOSED TO PULL THAT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY SET FOOT ON YOUR PLANETS SURFACE
dS: HOWEVER, THE WALKTHROUGH ISN'T FINISHED
dS: MAYBE I SHOULD GO PESTER THIS LALONDE GIRL
dS: SEE IF SHE CAN MAKE SENCE OF THIS
dS: BE BACK LATER

dependableSerialkiller ceased pestering dastardlyAntagonist

And thus, David was alone again.

[Gabu]

This thread is so full of win right now. I especially want to see homeSUFFOCATED continue! Great work, guys! :D


Darkness, Chapter 10: Trauma

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John normally didn't like cake, but somehow the idea of having sugary junk food instead of equally delicious, healthy food flowing in his arteries had staved off the voices for the rest of the evening. He hadn't realized how long and far away he's been from home. Breathing fresh air instead of the dusty indoor air that almost burned his nostrils excited and depressed John. He didn't want to be here anymore. The thoughts swam in his head even when he was lying in bed.

AWW, POOR KID MISSES HIS HOME
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, CRY ABOUT IT?

“Shut up, asshole.”

GOOD BOYS DON'T RESORT TO NAME CALLING
BUT WHAT DOES A DUMB KID KNOW ABOUT THAT?

“You shut up. Now.”

I TALK WHENEVER I WANT.
I'M A PART OF YOU, REMEMBER?
OF COURSE YOU DON'T

“I'm sick of you, leave me alone.”

BUT I ENJOY TORTURING YOU.
IT'S ALL YOU'VE EVER BEEN MADE FOR.
HAHAHAHA

John felt the pull of the black hole that was those voices.

“That's not it.”

THEN WHAT, THEN?

“I saved the world.”

YEAH, ONCE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
HEROES ARE USELESS ONCE THEY FUFILL THEIR DESTINY.
AND A DUMB KID CANNOT BE A HERO.
OR AN HERO.
STUPID KID.

More of reality detached from John. “I-I did it with my friends.”

MORE LIKE FUCKS
FACE IT
YOU ARE NOTHING TO NO ONE

John felt pure fear hit his brain, and the real world around him darkened even more.

“Why are you doing this? This is entirely s-stupid! Y-you're stupid!”

STUPID? ME?
NO, STUPID
IT'S YOU

John's mind reeled. The voices were gaining color? This was it, as the world around John had dissolved into a void of darkness. But the rope connecting John to his consciousness wasn't entirely cut. John could still feel the cold air wisping across his body and into his lungs. The fear was too much, and he curled up in a meek defensive maneuver.

YOU ARE A SHITTY ACTOR!
THINK YOU CAN HIDE?
WE ARE INSIDE YOU
YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM US!

“Please! I don't want this! J-just go away! Why are you even here?!”

YOU DUMB KID
I'LL NEVER GO AWAY
UNLESS YOU DECIDE TO OFF YOURSELF
BOOM
HEADSHOT

“No! I would never do something retarded like that! Why would I do something like that?!”

BECAUSE YOU'RE A DUMB KID
DUMB ENOUGH TO BE REMINDED OF THIS

“It's not true!”

BY YOUR LOGIC
YOUR LOGIC THINKS YOU CAN JUST GET RID OF ME
SHITHEAD

“Oh God…” John tightened his fetal position. “Dave, Rose, Jade… where are you? Why aren't you helping me?”

BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, THEY CAN'T MENTALLY SEND ANY POWER TO YOU
CLOSE CALL, WASN'T IT?
IF THEY WERE HERE, I'D STILL BE HERE, THOUGH
IT'S USELESS TO FIGHT
IT'S USELESS TO LAUGH YOUR WAY OUT, TOO
GODDAMN GRADE-F JOKESTER

“Stop saying that!”

NO

“Stop!”

NO YOU STOP

“STOP!”

---

Pesterchat #sburbascenders begin log at (23:25) CST

(23:25) TG: yo
(23:25) GG: hiii dave! :D
(23:25) TT: We've been waiting for you for at least several hours.
(23:25) TG: bro had me help out with his goddamn smuppet film.
(23:26) TG: it was terrible
(23:26) TG: so many fucking smuppet testicles
(23:26) TG: you couldnt believe
(23:26) GG: D:
(23:26) TG: I know. Its enough that I have to play plump rump the gathering with him
(23:27) TG: ironically of course
(23:27) GG: well at least youre here now! :D
(23:27) TT: Speaking of, anyone talk to John in the past week?
(23:27) GG: no
(23:27) TG: says here hes been offline for 4 weeks 5 days 12 hours
(23:28) GG: poor john!
(23:28) TT: I know. I would've thought he would've been out and talking to at least one of us by now.
(23:29) TT: He seemed to have cracked completely when he noticed Dave and I were leaving.
(23:29) TG: dude was cracked like a crackhead on crack
(23:29) TT: Not now, Dave.
(23:29) TG: hes probably been pussying out of kicking those voices in the junk
(23:29) GG: guys
(23:29) TT: Yeah, Jade?
(23:29) GG: I've had a premonition that today would be very important
(23:29) TG: how so?
(23:30) TG: fall asleep and had another of those freaky visions or whatever?
(23:30) GG: well, it had john in it
(23:30) GG: he looked battered and bruised and broken and just so unhappy
(23:30) GG: then he saw me, and I guess you two were there as well, and he seemed to get better
(23:30) TG: jade that has got to be one of the stupidest dreams ever
(23:30) TG: how in the hell would egbert suddenly get better like that?
(23:30) GG: I don't know, but maybe we're supposed to do something
(23:31) GG: I don't know
(23:31) GG: we can't just appear to him from here
(23:31) TT: John wouldn't be allowed anywhere near a computer, if I am correct with the idea that John had a terrifying breakdown and got put in that other ward.
(23:31) TG: dude, that would be harsh
(23:31) TT: Harsh, yes. But the most likely situation.
(23:31) GG: you mean he could be in there with all those creepy people?
(23:31) TT: Yes.
(23:31) TT: But only because John would probably be classified as a creep himself.
(23:31) TT: I am putting out a sorry here in case John ever does come back and happens to have this log.
(23:32) TG: no prob, rose. I'm not gonna delete anything
(23:32) GG: dave, your so nice! :DD
(23:32) TT: I need to go to bed now.
(23:32) TG: k. bye rose
(23:32) TT: But I think we need to do something for John now.
(23:33) TT: A prayer, maybe.
(23:33) TT: It'll be at least comforting for us.
(23:33) TG: dudes don't do prayers
(23:33) TG: but pouring a 40 I can do
(23:33) TG: though bro will beat my ass again for pouring a 40 in an unironic way
(23:33) TT: Whatever suits you, Dave.
(23:33) TG: im doing it now. Pouring it all over the shag
(23:33) GG: ok, I'm doing it now
(23:34) GG: mr.god, could you please help john get better
(23:34) GG: its all I ask
(23:34) TG: rose, are you praying now
(23:34) TG: to freud or whatever?
(23:34) TT: Yes, Dave, I'm praying to Freud
(23:35) TG: I knew it
(23:35) TG: you belong to scientology
(23:35) TT: Freud wasn't a scientologist, numbnuts.
(23:35) TG: well, he had pretty fucked up ideas
(23:35) TT: Night, guys.

[TT has left the chat room]

(23:38) TG: so jade...
(23:38) GG: yeah;lf dk

[GG has left the chat room|fell asleep]

(23:39) TG: goddammit
(23:39) TG: I'm not gonna talk to your goddamn dreambot again

[TG has left the chat room]

[Crilly]

Nice Gabu! One thing I'd like to note, that you switched from past tense to present tense. See: The fear was too much, and he curls up in a meek defensive maneuver.

[Gabu]

Ah. Thanks. Was that the only error, because I swear I tend to make insane errors when I start making them.

[Tenebrais]

HOUSE PARTY
The saga continues 4th of April. That is, right now.

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E, O and A. J, P, R and Y. That loose “Destiny” was inviting. Triple word score. But my turn would have to wait. Dave had to go before me, and it was Jade's turn.
“'Cruxtruder' isn't a word, Jade,” Dave said.
“Is too!” she insisted.
“What is it, then?”
“It extrudes cruxite, duh!”
I sighed. This was the third time this had happened. Jade has a very lively imagination. At least, I think it's her imagination – given her startling sense of the future, who can be sure? Nonetheless, cruxite and cruxtruders certainly don't exist yet. John was already leafing through the dictionary again. One has to admire his patience.
“Crutches, crutter, crux,” he read out. “No cruxtruder. Sorry, Jade.”
“Darn!” She pulled in her tiles, leaving Crux as she had found it, and tried to find some other way of assembling them. “I'm sure it's a word... I know it is...” she looked visibly upset. I tried to signal to John to give her some comfort, but he didn't seem to notice.
“Okay... tread. Six points.” John noted down her score. She was still in last place by a fair margin.
“Alright you all watching real close?” Dave burst out to a rhythm in his head. “'cause I'll take Destiny's D and make it sweet.”
Every tile he lay down was like a nail in my coffin.
DOGGING.
It took every ounce of self-control I had to not strangle him then and there.

At the end of the game, Dave won. John followed, and I was in third. Bastard. I'd have won it if it weren't for him.
I know I shouldn't be getting so worked up over a game, but after what Mom pulled with the forest, tensions were high. Or, at least, I was annoyed. Everyone else seemed to be taking it in their stride. This, somehow, made it all worse.
Jade approached me. “Um, Rose? Can I talk to you? ...in private?”
“Alright,” I replied, as we retreated to my room. I wondered what she wanted to ask me that the boys wouldn't hear. Perhaps... oh god. I wouldn't have to give her The Talk, would I? I mean, she's fourteen, surely she... no, that can't be it...
I had thought myself into a hole. Feeling very apprehensive, I closed the door and we both sat on the bed.
“Rose,” Jade asked. “Am I mad?”
I was completely thrown. I wasn't expecting that. In retrospect, I probably should have.
“What makes you say that?”
“I know these words that don't exist. I know what these things are! I could draw a picture of an alchemiter! And I'm sure I've seen a cruxtruder before. But there's no such thing...”
“You see the future, don't you? Maybe they just don't exist yet.”
“Well that's the thing! I can see the future. And I thought I knew why, but after meeting John I don't know any more. He's so normal.”
“Why John?”
“He should be able to see the same things I can. He hasn't woken up yet. Or I thought so. But meeting you guys he just seems so normal and I don't think I'm really seeing what I think I'm seeing and... and...”
She started to cry. “You wouldn't understand.”
“You're right, I don't understand.” I put my arms around her, trying to comfort her. “But that doesn't mean I don't care.”
She sniffed, but didn't say anything.
“Listen,” I said. “I don't think you're mad. You're strange, in a lot of ways, but by all the textbooks and tests I've got there's nothing wrong with you, given everything about you.”
I held her closer, and continued. “Besides, even if you were mad, I wouldn't think any less of you. You're a great friend, Jade. I'm sorry I don't say it much.”
She stayed silent, but started to hug me back.
“I know we're not very good at showing it – especially Dave – but we all love you for your weirdness. You're the reason we met in the first place. How could you possibly be mad after that?”
She tucked her head under my chin – no easy task, given her height – and nuzzled me a little. “Thanks, Rose,” she whispered.
“Don't mention it,” I soothed. “It's probably my fault that I even need to tell you this.”

The moment was probably spoiled a little when she fell asleep there and then. I sat there, still holding her. I didn't want to let her go.

Chapter 11 is down here

[Crilly]

YAY! House party's back!

[Tenebrais]

It just took me a while to decide what direction to go in.

Look forward to seeing more in the near future!

[Ember]

HOUSE PARTY
The saga continues 4th of April. That is, right now.

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E, O and A. J, P, R and Y. That loose “Destiny” was inviting. Triple word score. But my turn would have to wait. Dave had to go before me, and it was Jade's turn.
“'Cruxtruder' isn't a word, Jade,” Dave said.
“Is too!” she insisted.
“What is it, then?”
“It extrudes cruxite, duh!”
I sighed. This was the third time this had happened. Jade has a very lively imagination. At least, I think it's her imagination – given her startling sense of the future, who can be sure? Nonetheless, cruxite and cruxtruders certainly don't exist yet. John was already leafing through the dictionary again. One has to admire his patience.
“Crutches, crutter, crux,” he read out. “No cruxtruder. Sorry, Jade.”
“Darn!” She pulled in her tiles, leaving Crux as she had found it, and tried to find some other way of assembling them. “I'm sure it's a word... I know it is...” she looked visibly upset. I tried to signal to John to give her some comfort, but he didn't seem to notice.
“Okay... tread. Six points.” John noted down her score. She was still in last place by a fair margin.
“Alright you all watching real close?” Dave burst out to a rhythm in his head. “'cause I'll take Destiny's D and make it sweet.”
Every tile he lay down was like a nail in my coffin.
DOGGING.
It took every ounce of self-control I had to not strangle him then and there.

At the end of the game, Dave won. John followed, and I was in third. Bastard. I'd have won it if it weren't for him.
I know I shouldn't be getting so worked up over a game, but after what Mom pulled with the forest, tensions were high. Or, at least, I was annoyed. Everyone else seemed to be taking it in their stride. This, somehow, made it all worse.
Jade approached me. “Um, Rose? Can I talk to you? ...in private?”
“Alright,” I replied, as we retreated to my room. I wondered what she wanted to ask me that the boys wouldn't hear. Perhaps... oh god. I wouldn't have to give her The Talk, would I? I mean, she's fourteen, surely she... no, that can't be it...
I had thought myself into a hole. Feeling very apprehensive, I closed the door and we both sat on the bed.
“Rose,” Jade asked. “Am I mad?”
I was completely thrown. I wasn't expecting that. In retrospect, I probably should have.
“What makes you say that?”
“I know these words that don't exist. I know what these things are! I could draw a picture of an alchemiter! And I'm sure I've seen a cruxtruder before. But there's no such thing...”
“You see the future, don't you? Maybe they just don't exist yet.”
“Well that's the thing! I can see the future. And I thought I knew why, but after meeting John I don't know any more. He's so normal.”
“Why John?”
“He should be able to see the same things I can. He hasn't woken up yet. Or I thought so. But meeting you guys he just seems so normal and I don't think I'm really seeing what I think I'm seeing and... and...”
She started to cry. “You wouldn't understand.”
“You're right, I don't understand.” I put my arms around her, trying to comfort her. “But that doesn't mean I don't care.”
She sniffed, but didn't say anything.
“Listen,” I said. “I don't think you're mad. You're strange, in a lot of ways, but by all the textbooks and tests I've got there's nothing wrong with you, given everything about you.”
I held her closer, and continued. “Besides, even if you were mad, I wouldn't think any less of you. You're a great friend, Jade. I'm sorry I don't say it much.”
She stayed silent, but started to hug me back.
“I know we're not very good at showing it – especially Dave – but we all love you for your weirdness. You're the reason we met in the first place. How could you possibly be mad after that?”
She tucked her head under my chin – no easy task, given her height – and nuzzled me a little. “Thanks, Rose,” she whispered.
“Don't mention it,” I soothed. “It's probably my fault that I even need to tell you this.”

The moment was probably spoiled a little when she fell asleep there and then. I sat there, still holding her. I didn't want to let her go.

That is really all there is to say on the matter.

[Quixotic]

Heeeey, man, people are posting like crazy in here now. I'll have to go back and write up some comments soon!

But for the moment I'm working on a new fanfiction project. This one is intended to be a long-form story, so we'll see how far I get! It doesn't have a title yet, so I guess I will update this post when I think of one.

It's set roughly four years after the events of Homestuck, and is decidedly going to be done in a slightly more dark/realistic tone than the comic, but I will see how that actually pans out. Anyway, enough talk.


Chapter 1: Interesting Times

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This was going to be weird. He just knew it.

John stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall of the airport waiting area. He'd been there for almost a half hour already, but he still couldn't bring himself to sit down. Too anxious, too worried, too embarrassed - you name it. It was a mixture of a lot of things. Stuff was complicated. People were complicated. Only now had it gotten to the point where he couldn't avoid it any longer.

In fact, his avoidance tendencies were already living on borrowed time. According to his watch, she should have shown up ten minutes ago.

Summer light shimmered through the airport windows, making him wish he was in the same location a year in the past. It was a pleasantly vivid memory. Sixteen years old by only a few months, and waiting to catch a flight - the first of many - on his way to an elusive island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Ironically, though, those months spent on Hellmurder Island had probably been where everything started going to hell.

A year in the future in the same airport, things still looked the same. Only this time it seemed like the revitalizing afternoon sun was being obscured by a fog of apprehension and teenage romantic frustration. Things had been subtlety degrading since last fall, but earlier in the spring there had been a solid two months where the two of them had hardly spoken at all.

Of course, that all had changed in the last little while, so maybe things would be okay. Imminent peril has a way of doing that to people.

"John," someone said in the distance. He jolted himself back into the waking world, pushing his glasses up his nose as he tried to locate the voice in the crowd of people. The beginning of summer was not the most original time to try to go on vacation.

"John," Rose said louder, from a completely different angle than he'd been expecting her. She appeared in his peripheral vision, and he whirled around to face her in a less than dignified manner.

"Ah!" he blurted before forcing himself into an exaggeratedly composed posture, leaning back against the wall as if he'd been expecting her all along. He managed to give her the once over with his first startled look, then switched his focus to hold her gaze without blinking. "Hey Rose, how's it going?"

Her fashion sense had taken a spike towards the extreme a couple years back, but these days it seemed that it had leveled back out into something approachable. Today it was just a long black skirt and tank top to match, with a purple shrug-style sweater covering her arms. He figured she'd made the last part herself - the angry looking Squiddle stitched into its front was a dead giveaway.

She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before replying. He took the time to note that her blonde hair was longer - though it was a bit hard to tell as it was expertly woven into a loose bun on the back of her head. Her fringe was no longer dyed purple. Too bad. He'd kind of liked it when it was purple.

"It's been...interesting, John," she said, smirking faintly. "But you know what they say about things being interesting."

"Uh." He didn't know what they said about things being interesting.

She sighed. "'May you live in interesting times' is a curse. I suppose because, as we already know, 'interesting' is not always the best for your health."

"Oh, haha." He scratched the back of his head, then tried flattening his spiky mass of hair. "Yeah, no kidding."

The sounds of the crowd overtook them. John was at a loss. What was he supposed to do now? Make small talk?

Things weren't normal, and they both knew it. They'd spent many late nights discussing it online. Of course, online, awkward silence wasn't quite so glaring. Online, they felt in their element. They'd gone through the hardest time of their life with that being their main means of conversation.

But here? In person? Everything was wrong. It was hard not to feel the tension. It was hard not to realize that there was only two there when there should have been four.

"Rose, I..." he started, but he never got the chance. She wrapped her around around his shoulders, pulling him into a quick hug.

"It's fine," she said, the crack in her voice closely resembling the crack in her social armor. "I missed you."

"Yeah," he said, returning the gesture, patting her back in comfort. "I missed you, too."

He thought up all kinds of things he could try to say to reassure her, but knew it wouldn't do any good. Nothing he could say would change things. Nah, this was the time of doing.

They would figure this out. They had to.

[Tenebrais]

You have my interest firmly within your grasp with that story, Quix. I am keen to see more.

[Zuki]

I am already in suspense and I don't know what's going on yet!

Also I love the way that John's still awkward about in-person interactions and the apparent evolution of Rose's fashion sense. It seems to fit her well.

[zebtrestalala]

Yaaaaay! Tenebrais and Gabu and Quixotic all writing new stuff! I love both of your stories. So now I'm gonna try to write some more stuff for that thing I did.

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Sunday morning rolled around, and so did Derek. Literally.

"Ow, fuck!"
"Dude," said Evan. "Did you fall out of bed again? Something about Sundays?"
"Yeah, I guess. Shit. Missed church. Again."
"You don't. Really speak. In long phrases. When you wake up." joke Evan.
"Yeah, I mean I'm still waking up and all. Give me a minute," Derek replied.

As he gradually sat up, everything suddenly flooded into his mind. He had to read about 30 pages for 4 of his subjects, finish up a paper, and study for his test on Wednesday. And, moreover, he had to go running some time today and go to church later.

And yet all he wanted to do was play that stupid game that he had got yesterday. He had loaded up his client and his server last night, before going out with some "friends." Sburb was a pretty useless game unless you had someone to play with. I guess it was a way to encourage introverted little kids to actually play with their friends. Go figure.

The game had also come with something that could only be described as a children's card game on steroids: the motherfucking Captchalogue system.

He had asked a physics expert on his hall how the hell a card could possibly hold something like his desk lamp inside, and he said he had absolutely no idea. Some sort of physics/computer engineering that was far too advanced for his lackluster grasp of physics. Yeah, it was that intense. Apparently the same Skaianet, the same company that had made Sburb had made the card system some 13 years ago, when he was only 5.

So Sburb would probably be an exciting experience, to say the least. Personally, he would rather stick with a backpack instead of having to screw around with something that made an obnoxious game out of what could possibly be a viable, economic inventory-like system.

Honestly, the Stack modus? Jesus Christ, he had almost taken Evan's head off with his trash can.

And so, falling into a pattern that had become almost second nature to him. Go to computer, look at webcomics, draw something, wait for praise, be dissapointed, etc.

A window popped up on his computer, disturbing his trance.

silentMusician [sM] began pestering awkwardPenguin [aP]
SM: Hey Derek!
AP: Hey Seth, what's up?
AP: Made any cool tunes recently?
SM: Nah, I've kind of hit a composer's block.
SM: I was wondering if you had any ideas about what I could try to make into music.
AP: Umm, I don't know
AP: Maybe try to compose something about a rolling hill area, with various monsters lurking in the shadows?
SM: Okay
SM: That sounds odd
SM: Vaguely influenced by Mario/Zelda/Kirby, even
AP: Ah, you caught me.
AP: Hey, have you heard about that game Sburb that just came out?
SM: Oh no, you aren't thinking about playing that demonic game, are you?
SM: Don't do it Derek. One of the guys downstairs got that game yesterday.
SM: I went by his room and he had his BED in the hallway. Along with his desk.
SM: His roommate was flipping the fuck out.
SM: Something about how there's no way that should physically be possible.
AP: Shit.
AP: Really?

Derek took a second to look at Evan. Did he want to put him through that in order to try and connect with a friend that had gone to school hours and hours away? He doubted it was really as bad a Seth made it out to be, as he tended to exaggerate things.

AP: You actually went out and talked to somebody?
SM: Ha.
SM: Haha.
SM: Yeah, I know, weird stuff, huh?
SM: No, but I'm actually not exaggerating.
SM: I could try to go and talk to them, if you want me to
AP: That might be nice
AP: I'm trying to get Kat to be my server thing or whatever it is
AP: I don't really know how this game works
AP: It has all this publicity and yet no one actually knows what the point of it is...
SM: ...
SM: ohhhhhhh...
SM: Well, that should be fun
AP: Oh shut up, you know it's not like that.
AP: Besides, you know I of all people couldn't make it work out over that much distance
SM: Yeah, well, I'm gonna go do that.
SM: You have fun!
AP: Yeah, see you later


Gradually, Derek was able to pry himself away from his laptop, and settled down in his chair, a very boring philosophy book in his hand. He barely got any of the stuff that he was reading, as he eagerly waited for Kat's response. He really hoped he could start this game before the pressure of the week began once again and he was forced to actually concentrate on school.

"Does she really matter that much to you, man?" asked Evan, glancing up from his biology text book to Derek.
"Well, it's not that. Have you heard of the game Sburb?" asked Derek.
"Oh yeah! It's that game that's kinda like the Sims, right?"
"I think it might be, but you need two actual people to play it," said Derek.
"Oh? Sorry, dude, I wish I could help you out, but I'm kinda out of money and have a huge lab report-" Evan began.
"No, it's fine, that's why I've been looking at the computer. Kat said she would message me when she got the game," said Derek, and just then the glorious little orange box popped up.

risingRunner [rR] began pestering awkwardPenguin [aP]
RR: Hey Derek!
RR: I got the game!
RR: It says I need a client to end up doing anything
RR: That would be you, right?

Derek leaped from his chair, and went straight to the keyboard of his computer.

AP: Yeah, that would be me!
AP: So should we do this?
RR: Yes, I believe that we should.
AP: I take it you've never read Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff?
AP: I was kind of hoping you'd answer "We're making this hapen"
RR: You mean happen?
AP: Never mind, let's load this baby up.


And a strange, spirograph filled his computer screen. Words flashed along the bottom, things that he was sure had nothing to do with a videogame of any kind. He realized his was sweating a little. Why the hell was he doing that? It was a game.

What harm could it bring?

[Tenebrais]

Okay in the two minutes before I go to bed I'll post the quick eleventh chapter for HOUSE PARTY

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There are ways of dealing with every patient.
It must be quite overwhelming for Jade. She gets very little human contact – only her grandfather, and I'm not entirely sure that he's even alive – so meeting us in person would be quite a shock. What she said earlier gave me something to think about. John was too normal? For what?
I would like to say I had considered the matter and come up with a logical and rigorous conclusion regarding what she was talking about, and presumably the source of her predictions. But I did none of this. I had become too concerned with the girl who had just poured her heart out to me, sobbing, and then fell asleep. It was some time before I finally released her and let her rest comfortably on my bed.
While I waited for her to awaken again – I didn't want to leave the room in case she thought I had abandoned her – I pondered how to deal with her. She is a very physical, touchy-feely sort of person (though it pains me to use such uninspired language) and hugging her earlier calmed her considerably. That seems to be the best tactic to use in this case: give her the human contact that she clearly needs.

She looked as though she was sleeping deeply. I took my laptop over to the bed and sat next to her. As it started up, it occurred to me to wonder why I had opened it. It was a natural reaction for me. If I ever had nothing to do I would go online and pester my friends. But that was unnecessary now.
As I came to reconsider, the laptop finished loading. And I was reminded that there was one friend who was not present with me.
If you could call it a friend. I'm still not entirely sure.
“You Two Look So Cute Together”, read the viridian text that had just come up. “You Would Make A Good Couple.”
“Please let us not go down that road,” I typed in response.
“As You Wish. How Has Your Gathering Progressed? You Were Anticipating It Greatly.”
“You could probably tell me that yourself. What about you? How was your last five minutes?”
“Actually, I Have Watched The Four Of You Interact For The Last Half Of A Human Hour. Your Species Is Strangely Entertaining.”
“Isn't that rather a waste of your time?”
“I Have Little Else To Do. You Are The Ones Who Are Late.”
“Right. Are you ready to tell me what that means yet?”
“As I Have Mentioned Before, To Tell You Would Be To Ruin Everything.”
“Then why bring it up again?”
“We Are Taking Steps To Rectify The Situation.”
“And I know you're not going to explain that either.”
“Correct. Do Not Fear, Your Mother Shall Return To You Soon.”
“Wait. What? What do you mean?”
“Oh, I Believe I Am Being Called Away. I Will Speak To You Later, Rose.”
GrimAuxiliatrix logged off. I still haven't found out her real name. Or, as yet, what she thinks we're late for. Or even if it's a she. The whole group of them are an enigma. What was she referring to about Mom? Did she know where they'd gone?

Jade stirred beside me. I quickly closed my laptop and slid it under the bed, out of the way. Some of the other trolls might try to disturb me on it, but I would be too busy with my friends to reply by then.
“Hey, Jade,” I said to her as she opened her eyes. “Feeling better?”
She smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Rose.” She pulled me into a hug. “Thank you for caring.”
I hugged her back. “Jade, anyone who wouldn't care about you is someone I don't want to be associating with.”
I think this boosted her confidence. She hugged me tighter still. Proving I can never know what to expect from her, she licked my cheek.
“Uh... Jade?” I asked. “Please don't do that.”
She pulled away again. “Sorry. I guess I'm still not good at being normal.”
“Didn't I tell you earlier?” I asked as we both got off the bed. “We love you for your weirdness. Still, if you want to be more normal...” I thought for a moment. “You should speak to John. He's the most normal of the three of us, I think. Perhaps he'll rub off on you.”
She smiled, glad to have some route to being more normal. “I think I'll go do that.”
She hugged me one more time before going back out to meet the boys again.

Chapter 12